After a two-week recess, the House is back in session this week and ready to tackle a full legislative schedule, including a measure which would grant the District of Columbia a voting member [3] in the House. The Senate plans to be active as well, and among other things will consider a bill (passed by the House in January) to allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceuticals [4] for Medicare recipients. In addition to legislation, the Senate is again planning to hold a number of important committee hearings, including the highly anticipated testimony of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales before the Judiciary Committee [5] concerning his role in the U.S. attorney firings scandal [6]. Here, courtesy of GovTrack [7], is a quick rundown of all of this week’s Senate hearings (the House doesn't have easily accessible committee schedules, something the folks at the OpenHouseProject [8] are trying to fix):

• Apr 17, 2007
  Senate Appropriations -- Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies [9]
  To hold hearings to examine combating autism, focusing on undertaking a coordinated response. [SD-124] -- Apr 17, 2007 at 2 p.m.
• Apr 17, 2007
  Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs -- Securities, Insurance and Investment [10]
  To hold hearings to examine the role of securitization relating to subprime mortgage market turmoil. [SD-538] -- Apr 17, 2007 at 3 p.m.
• Apr 17, 2007
  Senate Armed Services -- Readiness and Management Support [11]
  To hold hearings to examine the current readiness of United States ground forces in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program. -- Apr 17, 2007 at 3 p.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Armed Services -- Airland [11]
  To hold hearings to examine whether the Army is properly sized, organized, and equipped to respond to the most likely missions over the next two decades while retaining adequate capability to respond to all contingencies along the spectrum of combat in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program. [SR-222] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry [12]
  To hold hearings to examine economic challenges and opportunities facing American agricultural producers today, focusing on livestock, poultry and competition issues. [SD-106] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Appropriations -- State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs [9]
  To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for maternal and child health, and family planning and reproductive health. [SD-138] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Finance [13]
  To hold hearings to examine the Administration's plan for reducing the tax gap, focusing on goals, benchmarks, and timetables. [SD-215] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship [14]
  To hold hearings to examine Public Law 107-204 addressing proposed regulatory changes and their impact on capital markets. [SR-428A] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Rules and Administration [15]
  To hold hearings to examine repealing the limitation on party expenditures on behalf of candidates in general elections. [SR-301] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions [16]
  Business meeting to markup S.1082, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to reauthorize and amend the prescription drug user fee provisions, and any pending nominations. [SD-628] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 10 a.m.
  S. 1082: A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to reauthorize and amend the prescription drug user fee provisions, and for other purposes
  Apr 18, 2007 - Committee Hearing
• Senate Library [17]
  Business meeting to consider an organizational meeting for the 110th Congress. -- Apr 18, 2007 at 2:15 p.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation -- Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard [18]
  To hold oversight hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the United States Coast Guard. [SR-253] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Appropriations -- Energy and Water Development [9]
  To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Energy. [SD-138] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Environment and Public Works [19]
  To hold hearings to examine the nomination of Lieutenant General Robert L. Van Antwerp, Jr. to be Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. [SD-406] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
• Apr 18, 2007
  Senate Foreign Relations [20]
  To hold hearings to examine the nominations of R. Niels Marquardt, of California, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Madagascar, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Union of Comoros, Janet E. Garvey, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon, and Phillip Carter, III, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea. [SD-419] -- Apr 18, 2007 at 9:30 p.m.
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs [21]
  To hold hearings to examine the impact of global warming on private and federal insurance. [SD-342] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 9 a.m.
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Armed Services [11]
  To hold hearings to receive testimony on the Department of Defense's management of costs under the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) contract in Iraq. [SH-216] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation -- Science, Technology, and Innovation [18]
  To hold hearings to examine United States competitiveness through basic research. [SR-253] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Appropriations -- Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies [9]
  To hold hearings to examine rising highway fatalities. [SD-124] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Finance [13]
  To hold hearings to examine grains, cane, and automobiles relating to tax incentives for alternative fuels and vehicles. [SD-215] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Judiciary [22]
  To hold hearings to examine S.1079, to establish the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, S.495, to prevent and mitigate identity theft, to ensure privacy, to provide notice of security breaches, and to enhance criminal penalties, law enforcement assistance, and other protections against security breaches, fraudulent access, and misuse of personally identifiable information, S.221, to amend title 9, United States Code, to provide for greater fairness in the arbitration process relating to livestock and poultry contracts, S.495, to prevent and mitigate identity theft, to ensure privacy, to provide notice of security breaches, and to enhance criminal penalties, law enforcement assistance, and other protections against security breaches, fraudulent access, and misuse of personally identifiable information, S.376, to amend title 18, United States Code, to improve the provisions relating to the carrying of concealed weapons by law enforcement officers, S.119, to prohibit profiteering and fraud relating to military action, relief, and reconstruction efforts, S.735, to amend title 18, United States Code, to improve the terrorist hoax statute, H.R.740, to amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent caller ID spoofing, and the nominations of Robert Gideon Howard, Jr., of Arkansas, to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Frederick J. Kapala, of Illinois, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, and Benjamin Hale Settle, of Washington, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington; and the possibility of the issuance of certain subpoenas in connection with the investigation into the replacement of United States Attorneys. [SD-226] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 10 a.m.
  S. 1079: A bill to establish the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, and for other purposes
  S. 495: Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007
  S. 221: A bill to amend title 9, United States Code, to provide for greater fairness in the arbitration process relating to livestock and poultry contracts
  S. 495: Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007
  S. 376: Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2007
  S. 119: War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2007
  S. 735: Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007
  H.R. 740: Preventing Harassment through Outbound Number Enforcement (PHONE) Act of 2007
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Judiciary [22]
  To hold oversight hearings to examine the Department of Justice. [SH-216] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs -- Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security [21]
  To hold hearings to examine the current state of the Postal Service along with the efforts underway to implement the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (Public Law 109-435). [SD-342] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 2 p.m.
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Armed Services -- Strategic Forces [11]
  To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the military space programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request and the Future Years Defense Program; with the possibility of a closed session in SR-222 following the open session. [SR-232A] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
• Apr 19, 2007
  Senate Aging [23]
  To hold hearings to examine bioidentical hormones. [SD-562] -- Apr 19, 2007 at 10 p.m.